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Born in Baltimore in 1895 George Ruth Jr. became one of baseball's greatest players. He forever changed the way baseball was played, inventing the home run as an offensive weapon. Learn how Babe Ruth made baseball history on HowStuffWorks.

Cristobal Torriente was nicknamed "The Cuban Strongman" because of his broad shoulders and his ability to carry a ball club on them. Learn more about this outfielder who was part of one of the greatest defensive units of all time.

Biz Mackey was a large, fun-loving catcher, but his personality was only part of his legend. Generally acknowledged as one of the top defensive players ever at his position, he was also a fine hitter. Learn more about this Hall of Famer.

Andy Cooper is considered one of the great left-handed pitchers with a record-holding 29 saves. Cooper was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Committee on Negro Leagues in 2006. Learn about Andy Cooper's career and statistics.

Jud Wilson was known as a fearsome hitter and fearless on the field. Known as one of the best pure hitter in history, he was probably better known for his on-field scuffles. The Special Committee on Negro Leagues selected him for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Ray Brown attended college on a basketball scholarship, but soon moved to the Negro Leagues. He fired a seven-inning perfect game in 1945 and his curveball is what the old-timers talk about. Learn more about this Hall of Famer.

Ben Taylor was a first baseman nicknamed "Old Reliable." In Taylor's first 16 seasons, he hit over .300 15 times. Taylor was selected for the Hall of Fame in 2006. Find out about how Ben Taylor earned this title and learn about his career.

Pete Hill was a key figure on three of Negro baseball's most legendary teams: the Philadelphia Giants, the Leland Giants of Chicago and the Chicago American Giants. In 1911 he had the greatest batting season by hitting safely in 115 of 116 games.

Jose Mendez was a small man, but he was famous for having a devastating fastball. It is reported that Mendez actually killed a man when an errant fastball hit a teammate in the chest during batting practice. Here you can learn about his career.

Louis Santop is the first legendary batter quite a feat considering he played in the deadball era. He has been called the
"black Babe Ruth" even though his career preceded the Bambino's. He entered the Hall in 2006.

Tony Gwynn won eight consecutive batting titles by the time he retired in 2001. Gwynn was elected to the Hall in 2007 -- the first year he was eligible. Learn about Tony Gwynn's effective swing and statistics.

Willard Brown won two Triple Crowns and three batting titles within a four year period. He was considered one of the fastest players in the game. Learn about Willard Brown's career highlights and statistics.

A quote regarding Frank Grant's baseball skills comes from Robert W. Peterson, premier Negro baseball historian: "Probably the best of the black players in organized baseball during the nineteenth century before the color line was drawn."

What can one say about Mike Schmidt except that he might be the greatest all-around third baseman ever to play the game? With a four-homer game and enough awards and statistics to make him a Hall of Famer in his first year of eligibility, he earns his title.

When Robin Yount was hot, he was positively scorching. He won Gold Glove and MVP awards playing shortstop and center field for the Milwaukee Brewers, and even after an injury he tallied four consecutive .300 seasons as an outfielder. Get more stats.

Ozzie Smith's defensive play earned 13 consecutive Gold Gloves and a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. His trademark pregame backflip also thrilled Cardinals supporters and won him legions of young fans nationwide. Read up on Smith's all-time shortstop records.

Kirby Puckett helped the Minnesota Twins become the first team in AL history to draw three million fans. After amassing 2,304 lifetime hits, he retired gracefully to a front office job and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.

A ballplayer who gets the nickname "Mule" probably isn't a speedy middle infielder. Rather, Mule Suttles is famous for hitting the first home run in the history of baseball in 1933 and is credited with 237 homers total. See Mule's stats and bio.

One of the first stars at the shortstop position was George Wright. His legendary contributions to not only the shortstop position but the game of baseball as a whole helped cement his position in the baseball Hall of Fame.

When Cal Ripken beat Lou Gehrig's streak, he didn't just break it, he blew it wide open, appearing for more than three additional seasons without missing a game. In doing so, he earned baseball-wide respect as a consistently valuable performer.

Ryne Sandberg is the best trade in Cubs history, leading the team to an NL East crown in 1984. Holding the record of 282 home runs hit by a second baseman, he also was errorless in 123 straight games. Get stats for this great Hall of Fame player.

Wade Boggs holds a career .328 batting average the highest of the last fifty years. A 7th round draft pick out of high school in 1976, he had to fight his way up the ladder and didn't break into the majors until 1982. Learn about Wade Boggs's career.

For nine years, ­­­Bruce Sutter was the dominant reliever in the National League. His manager for four of those seasons, Whitey Herzog, referred to him as "The Sandy Koufax of relievers." Learn more about this pitcher and see his career statistics.